Base for electric lamps or similar devices



Aug. 20, 1946. 1. H. VAN HORN BASE FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS OR SIMILAR DEVICES Filed Jan. :50, 1942 ,lnven'tow."

Patented Aug. 20, 1946 IBASE FOR ELECTRIC LAIWPS OR vSIMILAR DEVICES Irving H.Van Horn, East Cleveland, hio,'assign-' or to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application January 30, 1942, Serial No. 428,863

Claims. 1

My invention relates to electric lamps and similar devices comprising a bulb containing an electric energy translation element and having a base secured to ai-d bulb. More particularly, the invention relates to shock-proof base structures for such lamps and similar devices.

An object of my invention .is to "provide a resilient connection between the bulb and the portion of the base which engages with :a socket so that shocks transmitted to the socket will be dampened before they reach the critical part of the lamp or similar device in the socket. Another object is to provide a shock-proof base which will fit in an ordinary socket. Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description of species thereof and from the drawing.

In the drawing, Figs. 1-3 are elevations, in section, of three modifications of base structures comprising my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, the lamp or similar device comprises a glass bulb l0 having a neck portion .H and a .pair of lead wires l2 and I3 extending from a stem of the usual tipless construction provided with th usual exhausttube l4.

The bulb I B is provided with a base comprising a cylindrical metal shell or body portion l't' which, in this instance, is part of a conventional screw threaded type of base including an eyelet is which serves as the end contact andis secured to the outer end of the shell 11 through the medium of glass insulation l9.

In accordance with my invention, the shell ll is connected to the bulb by a resilient skirt or sleeve member which may be made of rubber or allied materials, preferably a'high temperature synthetic rubber. The lower or outer end of the said skirt member 20 is provided with screw threads and is threaded into the shell I! while its annular upper or inner end surrounds the bulb neck H and is secured thereto by the usual basing cement IS. The said sleeve or skirt member 20 may be secured firmly within the inner end of the shell I! by a comparatively thin layer of cement or other adhesive 2], some of which is pushed down into the lower part of the base, as shown. In the form shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of the skirt or sleeve member is closed except for two openings 22. The lead Wires l2. and I3 extend through said openings, the wire [2 being soldered to the end contact 18 whil the lead wire l3 extends upwardly between the shell I! and skirt 20 and is soldered to the exterior of th shell I! at the point 23.

In use, the base I! is screwed into an ordinary resilient skirt 20, to rock with respect to the said surrounding the bulb neck may be roughened or provided with screw threads (as in Fig. 2) to base l1 so that the shock is dampened before it can result in destructive injury to the filament and other parts, such as glass parts, in the bulb It, or to the basing cement. Tests have shown that even extremely violent .shocks are successfully dampened by such a base structure.

If desired, the base I! may be of any other known type, such as the ordinary bayonet base which has a cylindrical shell and a pair of pins extending laterally therefrom. Moreover, the rubber skirt 2|! may, of course, be molded directly into the base hell [1. The cement 2'! may be eliminated, and if desired, any possible relative turning between the shell I! and skirt 2!! maybe prevented by suitable protuberances or indentations in the shell I! which fit in matching indentations or protuberances in the skirt member 213. It willbe noted that a small amount of slack is left in the lead wire l2 and 13 so as to permit the bulb 1'0 to rock freely with respect to the "base If desired, the inner surface of the skirt 2!) provide a better gripping action for the cement l6.

The structure shown in Fig. .'2 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1. However, in this instance,

the bulb neck is provided with an open bottomed screw threaded base shell 15 which is cemented to the bulb neck at l6 and the skirt member 20 is provided with corresponding internal screw threads. In this case, it is also preferable that a thin layer of cement or other adhesive be applied between the threads in the skirt 20' and on the shell [5. Another minor distinction is the provision of a single axial passage 22 in the bottom of the skirt 2!! through which both of the lead wires 12 and I3 extend. In order to prevent short circuiting, the lead wire I2 is provided with a surrounding tube '24 of suitable flexible insulating material; for example, glass wool, asbestos, synthetic spaghetti, etc. The lamp is completed by a base I! like that shown in Fig. 1. 'If desired, the shell l5 may, of course, .be made cylindrical, instead of screw threaded.

Referring to Fig. 3, the structure shown therein employs an ordinary screw threaded base I! like that employed in the Fig. 1 and 2 modifications and a screw threaded shell I5 like that shown in Fig. 2. However, in this instance, the rubber sleeve or skirt member 20 or 20' is replaced by a resilient helical wire spring memsevere shocks.

tween the lead wire [3 and the base shell 11.11 The spring 20a. functions in a manner analogous e to that of the rubber sleeve or skirt member 20 or 20' in Figs. 1 and 2. Once screwed into the spring 20a, the shell [5 is prevented from unscrewing therefrom by contraction or tighten ing of the spring upon attempting to unscrew Obviously, in the constructions thesaid shell. shown in the drawing, the rubber skirt 20 or 20,, or the spring 20a, forms a cushion which is flexible in all'directions so that the base is characterized by the absence of any unyielding connections between the shell I! and the 1 bulb m.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art 'that various substitutions, changes and omis-,

sions may be made in the structures illustrated without departingfrom the spirit of my invention. It will be obvious that the invention is useful for electric incandescent or discharge lamps or for other similar devices such as radio tubes which may be subjected to extremely In the case of an incandescent lamp, the filament mount structure may be 1 similar to that now in common use in the socalled rough service lamps;

mount comprises a glass arbor extending axially of the bulb Ill from the stem and having a plurality of outwardly radiating support wires which support a coiled filament. If desired,

the shell 15in Fig. 3 may be eliminated by molding screw threads in the bulbneck H cor-; responding to the' screw threads of the said shell 15; in this event, some means, such as cement may be employed to.hold the spring on the glass bulb neck. Moreover, in the form shown in Fig. 3, the spring Z'ila may be screwed on to the exterior of the base shell IT; in this case, the said shell is preferably elongated somewhat sothat the spring is screwed on to only the upper portion thereof to permit the lower portion to be readily screwed into a standard socket. What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

7 l. An'electrical device comprising a bulb con-f taining an electric energy translation element and having a shock proof base securedto said bulb, said base comprising a metal shell fixedly secured to an end of said bulb, a second metal shell shaped to engage'with a socket and being in end-to-end alignment with said first-mentioned shell and spaced therefrom, and a normally unrestrained resilient -member interconnecting said shells to form a cushion which is flexible in all directions so that the said base is characterized by the absence of any unyielding connections between the said bulb and the second metal shell 2. An electrical device comprising a bulb having .a neck portion'and containing an electric energy translation element and having a shock proof base s'ecureditosaid neck portion, said base comprising va. metal shell. shaped to engage with a socket-and being'in axial align- ;ment with saidb'ulb neck portion .andTspa'ced I5. Electrical I In such lamps theaxially from the end thereof, and a normally having a neck portion and containing an electric energy translation element and having a shock proof base secured to said neck portion,

' said base comprising a metal shell shaped to.

engagewith a socket and being in axial alignment with said bulb neck portion and spaced axially from the end thereof, and a resilient rubber sleeve member secured at one end to said shell and secured at its other end around said bulb neck to form a cushion which is flexible in all directions so that the said base is characterized bythe absence of any unyielding connections between the said bulb and the metal shell.

4. An electrical device comprising a bulb having a neck portion and containing an elec unrestrained resilient helical wire spring mem- .ber secured at one end to said shell and secured at its other end around said bulb neck to form a cushion which is flexible in all directions so that the said base is characterized by the absence of any unyielding connections between the said bulb and the metal shell.

.5. An electrical device comprising a bulb containing an electric energy translation element and having a shock proof" base secured to said bulb, said base comprising a metal shell fixedly secured to an end of said bulb, a second metal shell shaped to engage with a socket and being in end-to-end alignment with said first-mentioned shell and spaced therefrom, and a resilient rubber sleeve member secured at one end to the interior of said second-mentioned shell and secured at its other end around first-mentioned shell to form a cushion which is flex ible in all directions so that the said base is characterized by the absence of any unyielding connections between the said bulb and the second metal shell. 7

6. ,An electrical device comprising a bulb containing an electric energy translation element andhaving a shock proof base secured to said bulb, said base comprising a metal shell fixedly q secured to an end of said bulb, a second metal shell shaped to engage with a socket and being in end-to-end alignment with said first-mentioned shell and spaced therefrom, and a normally unrestrained resilient helical wire spring member secured at one end to the interior of said second-mentioned shell and secured at its other end around first-mentioned shell to form containing an electric energy' "-translation element and having a shock proof base. secured to said bulb, said base comprising a screwthreaded metal shell fixedly secured to amend of said bulb, a second screw-threaded metal shell shaped to engage with a socket and being in end-to-end alignment with said first-mentioned shell and spaced therefrom, and a resilient rubber sleeve member interconnecting said shells, said resilient member being threaded into the interior of said second-mentioned shell and around the exterior of said first-mentioned shell to form a cushion which is flexible in all threaded periphery, the inner end of the body portion being circumposed about and firmly secured, to said shock-absorbing material and the outer end carrying acontact insulated from the body of said base, and means electrically connectingsaid leads with said body portion and contact member.

12. An electric lamp comprising a bulb having a sealed neck, a filament within the bulb having leads extending through the end of said neck, an elongate body of shock-absorbing material having an annular inner end portion circumposed about and firmly secured to the lower end of said neck, a base member having a gendirections so that the said base is characterized by the absence of any unyielding connections between the said bulb and the second metal shell. I

9. An electrical device comprising a bulb containing an electric energy translation element and having'a shock proof base secured to said bulb, said base comprising a screw-threaded metal shel1 fixedly secured to an end of said bulb, a second screw-threaded metal shell shaped to engage with a socket and being in end-to-end alignment with said first-mentioned shell and spaced therefrom, and a normally unrestrained resilient helical wire spring member interconnecting said shells, said resilient member being threaded into the interior of said second-mentioned shell and around the exterior of said first-mentioned shell to form a cushion which is flexible in all directions so that the said base is characterized by the absence of any unyielding connections between the said bulb and the second metal shell.

10. An electrical device comprising a bulb containing an electric energy translation element and having a shock proof base secured to said bulb, said base comprising a hollow resilient rubber member having an enlarged cylindrical skirt portion surrounding and secured to an end portion of said bulb, said rubber mem her also having a shell-engaging portion of smaller diameter than said skirt portion extending outward from said skirt portion beyond the said end of the bulb, and a metal base shell shaped to engage in a socket and secured around said shell-engaging portion 01' the rubber member. s

11. An electric lamp comprising a bulb having a sealed neck, a filament within the bulb having leads extending through the end-of said resilient erally cylindrical body portion formed with ascrew-threadedperiphery, the inner endof the body portion being circumposed about and firmly secured. to said shock-absorbing material, and

means electrically connecting said leads and base member. a

13. An electric lamp comprising a bulb having a sealed neck, a, filament withinthe bulb having leads extending through the end of said neck, resilient shock-absorbing material disposed about and firmly secured to the lower end of said neck, a base member having a generally cylindrical body portion formed with means on its outer periphery for securing it in a socket, the inner end of said body portion being disposed about andfirmly secured to said shock-absorb-g ing material and the outer end carrying a contact insulated from the body ofsaid base, and means electrically connecting said leads with said body portion and contact member. I

14. An electric lamp comprising a bulb having a sealed neck, a filament within the bulb having leads extendin through the, end of said neck, resilient shock-absorbing material disposed about and firmly secured to the lower end of said neck, a base member having a generally cylindrical body portion formed with means on its outer periphery for securing it in a socket, the inner end of said body portion being disposed about and firmly secured to said shock-absorbing material and the outer end carrying a contact insulated from the body of said base, means electrically connecting said leads with said body portion and contact member, said end of the neck of the bulb and said inner end of the base being separated longitudinally of the lamp by an intervening space and said material bridging said space.

15. An electric lamp comprising a bulb having a sealed neck, a filament within the bulb having leads extending through the end of said neck, shock-absorbing material disposed about and firmly secured to the lower end of said neck, the base member having a generally cylindrical body portion formed with a screw-threaded. periphery, the inner end of said body portion being disposed about and firmly secured to said shock-absorbing material and the outer end carrying a contact insulated from the body of said base, means electrically connecting said leads with said portion and contact member, said end of the neck of the bulb'and said inner end of the base being separated longitudinally of the lamp by an intervening space and said ma-- terial bridging said space.

. IRVING H. VAN HORN. 

